This invention relates to a structure for electrically connecting a terminal and a wire.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional terminal. The terminal 1 is made of an electroconductive plate through a die-cutting process. The terminal 1 comprises an electric contact portion 3 and a wire connecting portion 5. The electric contact portion 3 is adapted to be connected to a mating terminal and has a coupling hole 3a. The wire connecting portion 5 is for connection with a wire 15. The wire connecting portion 5 is formed into a U-shape and comprises an insulator crimp portion 11 and a conductor crimp portion 13. The insulator crimp portion 11 is for crimping an insulation 9 which covers a core wire (conductor member) 7 of the cable 15. The conductor crimp portion 13 is for crimping the core wire 7 which is exposed after the insulation 9 is removed. The insulator crimp portion 11 has a pair of crimp pieces 11a and 11b while the conductor crimp portion 13 has a pair of crimp pieces 13a and 13b .
In order to connect the terminal 1 to an end portion of the wire 15, the core wire (conductor member) 7 is mounted on the conductor crimp portion 13 while the insulation 9 covering the core wire 7 is mounted on the insulator crimp portion 11. By the use of a crimper and an anvil (not shown), the crimp pieces 13a and 13b of the conductor crimp portion 13 and the crimp pieces 11a and 11b of the insulator crimp portion 11 are downwardly bent into an inverted U shape.
In the above-mentioned conventional terminal 1, however, top ends 17 of the conductor crimp portion 13 are simply embedded into the core wire 7. When subjected to an excessive tensile force along the longitudinal axis of the cable, the core wire 7 possibly be moved and dislocated in the longitudinal direction with respect to the conductor crimp portion 13. Thus, the conventional terminal 1 is unreliable in mechanical and electrical connection.